Choice of passwords prove weak security link

Research shows just 14 per cent of users chose different passwords

Businesses around the world must teach employees better password discipline, research published today concludes.

A survey from IT security company Sophos shows that just 14 per cent of users have a different password for every site they access, with 41 per cent admitting to using the same password for everything they do.

Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant at Sophos, says it is madness to use the same password for accessing a web site that tells you the football results, as the one which gives you access to your online bank account.

'If hackers manage to steal your password, and you use the same password for all web sites, then it's giving them an open invitation to steal your identity and leave you with a large hole in your virtual wallet,' he said.

A further poll by Sophos shows systems administrators found that three quarters of employees are using weak, easily cracked passwords on company accounts.

Company defences are only as strong as the weakest link in the chain, Cluley says.

'If users decide to make their password the name of their girlfriend, favourite football team, or pet goldfish then they are risking business data. Similarly, they need to be educated not to choose dictionary words which are easy for a hacking program to crack,' he said.

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